428: Shibuya Scramble

Last updated
428: Shibuya Scramble
428EnglishArt.png
Developer(s)
Chunsoft
  • Wii/PS3/PSP/iOS/Android
    Chunsoft
  • PS4/Windows
    Abstraction Games
Publisher(s)
  • Wii
  • PS3/PSP/iOS
    PlayStation 4
    Microsoft Windows
    • WW: Spike Chunsoft
Director(s) Takeshi Furuta
Ayumu Iino
Producer(s) Koichi Nakamura
Designer(s) Tsuyoshi Furuta
Programmer(s) Motoki Kaneda
Artist(s) Hiro Nakamura
Writer(s)
  • Koichiro Ito
  • Yukinori Kitajima
  • Takemaru Akibo
  • Kinoko Nasu
Composer(s)
Platform(s)
ReleaseWii
  • JP: December 4, 2008
PlayStation 3
  • JP: September 3, 2009
PlayStation Portable
  • JP: September 17, 2009
iOS, Android
  • JP: November 3, 2011
PlayStation 4
  • NA: September 4, 2018
  • JP: September 6, 2018
  • EU: September 21, 2018
Microsoft Windows
  • WW: September 4, 2018
  • JP: September 6, 2018
Genre(s) Visual novel
Adventure
Interactive film
Mode(s) Single-player

428: Shibuya Scramble [a] is a visual novel adventure video game produced by Koichi Nakamura with Jiro Ishii serving as executive producer, developed by Nakamura's company Chunsoft, and initially published by Sega, originally in Japan for the Wii on December 4, 2008. The game was ported by Spike to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable in September 2009. [2] A version for iOS and Android was released in November 2011. [3] PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows versions were released internationally in September 2018.

Contents

428 is set in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo where the narrative is presented using a combination of scrolling text, live action stills and video sequences. The game shares many story and gameplay elements with Chunsoft's 1998 sound novel game Machi , the most prominent being the locale, Shibuya. Although Chunsoft does not openly state 428 is a sequel, the game contains numerous references to Machi, and an early marketing slogan reads "Breaking a long silence, Shibuya gets going again."

The game has received high praise from critics, earning a perfect score in Famitsu Weekly , Japan's largest circulating video game magazine, as well as acclaim from international publications. The game also features a special scenario contributed by Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi of Type-Moon fame, who wrote and provided character designs for it respectively. This scenario by Type-Moon got a sequel as an anime television series titled Canaan , which aired in Japan from July to September 2009. [4] A series of four novels based on the game were published by Kodansha between the months of September and December 2009. [5]

Gameplay

The game's Time Chart Mode, which allows players to change events by using the chart 428 SS Time Chart Example.jpg
The game's Time Chart Mode, which allows players to change events by using the chart

428 is a visual novel adventure game where players take part in events from the perspectives of multiple protagonists, all acting in parallel with no knowledge of each other. Set in the modern Japanese city of Shibuya, Tokyo, the characters are involved in a mystery that cannot be solved without their interactions, and the plot is advanced by following clues found within the game's text and accompanying video sequences and making decisions on which path each protagonist should follow. Depending on the player's choices, a number of new scenarios become available, which ultimately lead to different outcomes and endings. [6] The game has over a hundred alternate story pathways and 87 different possible endings. [7] [8]

Parallel gameplay mechanic

Players read through and switch between multiple stories that take place in the same timeframe, each seen from a different character's point of view. Decisions made in one character's story can inadvertently affect the story of another character in unforeseen ways. The format is similar to earlier non-linear visual novels with multiple perspectives, such as Machi (1998) [9] and Eve Burst Error (1995), [10] and can also be compared to non-linear hyperlink films such as Pulp Fiction (1994), Magnolia (1999) or Vantage Point (2008).

For instance, the game opens with a detective (protagonist #1) waiting for a kidnapper to pick up the ransom money, which is being carried by a girl. Another character, a young man out for a walk (protagonist #2), happens to encounter the scene. Protagonist #2 now has a choice to approach the ransom-carrying girl or not; If he approaches, his story reaches a dead end by being wrongfully arrested, but not only that, the detective's story also reaches a dead end by making the wrongful arrest. [11]

The player's role is to figure out whose actions are affecting whom, and find the right choices to lead every protagonist to the conclusions of their storylines. The game offers a time chart screen where the events of all the protagonists' stories are listed in chronological order.

Blue-colored text is interspersed within the body text. The colored text, called Tips, can be selected like a hyperlink. Tips, when selected, provide a short page of explanatory text, much like a tooltip. Tips can reveal the definition of a technical term, provide some insight on the topic, or just provide a short digression from the story at hand. Red-colored text, also selectable, marks the name of a different protagonist and allows the player to jump from one protagonist to another. Jumping from red text is often the only way to make a character's story move forward.

The game unfolds in a ten-hour period, which begins at 10:00AM of April 28 and ends at 8:00PM. The game is broken up into one-hour segments. Leading every protagonist to the end of the hour unlocks the next hour to be played.

Story

A major event that could jolt the world has been triggered in the streets of Shibuya. Five main characters have 10 hours to come together and solve the mystery behind what originally seemed like an ordinary ransom kidnap case.

The game is a crime thriller, but has multiple scenarios that cover several different narrative genres. For example, Shinya Kano's scenario is a hardboiled cop thriller, Tama's scenario is a slapstick comedy, and Osawa's scenario is a psychological horror. [12]

Characters

Portrayed by: Kousei Amano
A young detective from the Shibuya Police Department, Kano is one of the detectives assigned to a stakeout involving Hitomi Osawa, a young woman whose twin sister Maria was kidnapped for ransom. The kidnapper had specified that Hitomi bring the money to a hand-off location outside of Shibuya Station. When the criminal shows up and runs off with the money, Kano takes chase.
Portrayed by: Yuto Nakamura
A boy who loves Shibuya more than anyone else, Achi is the former head of S.O.S., the most influential street clan in Shibuya. He has since left S.O.S. and now spends his days cleaning up the streets and picking up trash. During his daily street cleaning routine, he encounters and saves Hitomi from a gunman, and the two go on the run to evade her assassin.
Portrayed by: Takuji Oyama
A virus expert and the father of Hitomi and Maria Osawa. As the lab director of Okoshi Pharmaceutical, Osawa leads a hermit-like life. A week after his US business trip, he receives a series of mysterious e-mails that indicate someone had conducted an unauthorized clinical trial of an antiviral drug he had been researching.
Portrayed by: Fumio Kitagami
A hot headed freelance writer, Minorikawa receives a desperate phone call from his former superior, Teruo Toyama. Toyama, now the president of a small publishing company, was swamped in debt and now forced to complete the latest issue of his magazine in a single day. Minorikawa offers to help finish the magazine.
Portrayed by: Yumi Sumimoto
A mysterious person in a cat suit. Tama, a person of unknown identity, is working inside a cat suit as a by-the-day temp worker in order to buy a strange necklace she found at a general store. She begins her work of promoting a diet drink, "Burning Hammer." [13]

Additionally, the musician Aya Kamiki (上木彩矢) played herself, appears over the course of the game, and performs the main theme "The World Doesn't Change So Easy" (世界はそれでも変わりはしない, Sekai wa Sore Demo Kawari wa Shinai).

Main story

On April 27, college student Maria Osawa was kidnapped on her way to a mixer, which included her twin sister, Hitomi, and her professor. The kidnappers contacted the Osawa residence and demanded for ¥50,000,000 to be delivered by Hitomi at the Statue of Hachikō in Shibuya. The police force, including Detective Shinya Kano, surrounded Hachiko the next morning to catch the kidnappers. Once contact was made and the kidnapper ran with the case, Kano chased after them. Meanwhile, former gang member Achi Endo witnesses a Man with a Cane and a gun approach Hitomi, and Achi attempts to intercept and take Hitomi to safety. She explains that the kidnappers told her to find and enter a blue van, and Achi agrees to take her there, all while avoiding the Man with the Cane.

At the Osawa residence, Maria and Hitomi’s father, virologist Kenji Osawa, receives a threatening email with images of unauthorized clinical trials on an antiviral drug he had worked on for a virus called the Ua Virus. Elsewhere, freelance journalist Minoru Minorikawa offers his services to his former boss, Teuro Toyama, in filling 12 pages for his next issue of his magazine, with the proof deadlined for 8 PM, and enlists the help of novice Chiaki Iso as they search for stories to write.

That same day, an amnesiac girl nicknamed Tama applies for a job in a mascot costume at a sales demo, in order to buy a special necklace. However, her boss Jun’ichi Yanagashita appears to be a swindler, and her costume’s zipper is stuck. Minorikawa attends the sales demo, which ends catastrophically, but after a long morning of work, Tama is paid and Minorikawa gets his interview with Yanagashita. With the necklace purchased, she realizes her costume’s zipper has gone loose, taking it off and revealing the amnesiac Tama as Maria Osawa.

Kano pursues the kidnappers and eventually is assisted by an American from the US Embassy named Jack Stanley. They find the kidnappers dead in their hideout, attacked by someone named “Canaan.” As Achi and Hitomi are pursued by remaining kidnappers, a woman appears, naming herself Canaan and Maria’s close friend from overseas, and reveals it's her fault that Maria was kidnapped. They eventually approach the blue van, but it explodes with Achi, Hitomi, Canaan, Minorikawa, Chiaki, and Maria nearby. Maria is held hostage by the Man with the Cane and Minorikawa spies on Stanley and Kano. Stanley reveals he is a CIA agent hunting down a criminal named Alphard, who had infected Maria with the Ua virus, let her loose in the city, and seeks Hitomi to steal the antiviral hidden in her blood.

Achi and Hitomi head to the hospital to check on Achi’s sister, Suzune, who has been dying from a heart condition, and had collapsed earlier that day. When the doctor informs his that his father, Daisuke, stated a perfect donor would arrive soon, Achi discovers that Hitomi’s blood-type is the rare Bombay blood, a perfect match for Suzune, revealing his father had hired the Man with the Cane to kill her. Kano meets up with Detective Tateno —the Man with the Cane— who holds Maria hostage and reveals that the Endos were his childhood friends, and he seeks Hitomi to cure Suzune. Maria remembers her past, and escapes when Canaan attacks Tateno. Maria, Hitomi, Achi, and Stanley arrive at the Endo residence, where Daisuke reveals that he worked with Alphard but mistakenly kidnapped the wrong twin. As Kano and Canaan arrive, Maria collapses as the virus activates, and Alphard makes contact, offering the password for the antiviral in exchange for a sample of Hitomi’s blood.

Achi seeks help from his former gang, the S.O.S., to apprehend Alphard, and with Minorikawa’s intervention they accept. Canaan and the reformed Tateno take Maria to the lab to rendezvous with Osawa, while Hitomi, Kano, Achi, and S.O.S. head to the Statue of Hachikō to meet with Alphard: the twins' college professor. They apprehend him, prevent a Ua outbreak in the public square, and obtain the password, but it is revealed that "Alphard" had been carrying a bomb. Stanley discovered the truth: “Canaan” is not the real Canaan, but the real Alphard, and her true target is the laboratory. Stanley rushes to the lab to apprehend Alphard with Tateno’s help, Osawa administers the cure to Maria, and Kano and Achi (with Minorikawa's help) stop the bomb using dry ice.

Maria wakes up and realizes that if Alphard is pretending to be Canaan, then the real Canaan must already be dead. In the Normal Ending, Maria attempts to kill Alphard, but she retaliates and kills Osawa instead; the CIA arrive and arrest Alphard, only to reveal they were working with her as they head to the airport. In the True Ending, Maria doesn’t attempt to kill Alphard, and eventually receives a call from the real Canaan, alive and well; at the airport, Alphard confronts the real Canaan, and they draw their guns at each other as a gunshot is let loose.

Bonus scenarios

The Suzune Scenario is unlocked with the Normal Ending and with 50 Bad Endings obtained. Suzune befriends a boy named Takuya Kazama at the hospital, suffering from Wilson’s disease. One day Takuya is rushed to the ICU, and three weeks later Suzune collapses from a serious heart attack. Suzune wakes up and learns that Takuya had died and his heart had been transplanted in her. His blood type was also Bombay, and he had held on until his 15th birthday, on 4/28, to be able to legally sign as an organ donor and donate his heart to Suzune. Suzune decides to continue living, with Takuya always with her.

The Canaan Scenario is unlocked with the True Ending. A survivor of the Iraq War and an outbreak of the Ua Virus, Canaan was taken in by a mercenary named Siam to train as a child soldier. With her special ability of synesthesia, she is able to discover foes by their “color” and other hidden elements with her senses. During one mission, Canaan and Siam take a train from Iraq to Jordan to steal a package, aided by Siam’s former apprentice Sadaqah. Canaan and Sadaqah infiltrate a transport carriage, but Canaan discovers that the package is a sample of the Ua Virus. Armed men attack the train, and Sadaqah betrays and kills Siam, revealing her new name as Alphard. After massacring the rest of the passengers, Alphard escapes, but not before Canaan takes the case transporting the virus from her. Four years later, Canaan arrives in Japan to stop Alphard’s plans to release the virus, only to call Maria and learn Alphard had already been defeated. Canaan heads to the airport for their final showdown.

The Mean Clean Scenario is unlocked with the Suzune Scenario and the Canaan Scenario cleared, and triggered over the course of the game. After the van explosion, the water-bottle-themed mascot Mean Clean escapes from Achi’s shirt design and discovers a pollution monster seeking to cover all of Shibuya in garbage. Mean Clean and his friends race around Shibuya cleaning the trash in the city and confront the giant monster. Using dry ice, Mean Clean sacrifices himself in a dry ice explosion inside the monster’s mouth, saving the city from pollution.

The Conspiracy Scenario is unlocked by 100% completing the rest of the game and triggering a secret transmission. Koichi Nakamura, chairman of Spike Chunsoft, reveals he has been imprisoned and forced to make games for an impostor Nakamura, but was able to hide a secret message in a mini-game created for 428: Shibuya Scramble based on the game Door Door . The True Conspiracy Scenario is unlocked afterwards, obtained with a secret password. Yukinori Kitajima, writer for 428: Shibuya Scramble, reveals the previous message is a lie created by Nakamura, and that Kitajima was kidnapped years ago, alongside Takemaru Abiko and Kinoko Nasu, replaced with fakes in public, and forced to make games for them. He had already implanted a similar message in a previous game, and he informs the player that 428: Shibuya Scramble has been implanted with electromagnetic waves that could lead to brainwashing, and warns them that Nakamura’s agents may have replaced someone close to them and are attempting to replace the player themself.

Development

During the visual novel's development, a total of 120,000 live-action still pictures were shot. The live-action video and pictures were shot over a period of two months, before being edited for a further three months. [14]

According to Koichi Nakamura, he mentions that the logistical challenge is on putting up visual novel scenes set in Shibuya since the police did not allow them to do so. [15] This forced the crew to improvise by having some of the staff block the officers in arresting them for illegally shooting scenes in the ward. [15]

Release

The Wii version was later released under Nintendo's "Everyone’s Recommendation Selection" line of budget titles. [16]

The game was later ported to the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 and released in September 2009. A version for iOS was released in November 2011.

Spike Chunsoft released the game in English for the PlayStation 4 in North America on September 4, 2018 and worldwide for Microsoft Windows on the same day; Koch Media plan to release the PlayStation 4 version in Europe on September 21 in a partnership with Spike Chunsoft. [17] David Kracker, a localization director at Spike Chunsoft, "made it [his] mission" to localize the game when he joined the company. [18] Netherlands-based Abstraction Games handled the porting process. Kajiya Productions provided the localization script with Kevin Frane as translator and Alexander O. Smith as editor. [19] [18]

Music

The singer Aya Kamiki sang the theme song of the game, entitled "Sekai wa Sore demo Kawari wa Shinai" (世界はそれでも変わりはしない). The single was released on December 3, 2008. The music video features some scenes of the game. [20]

Aya Kamiki participated in the promotion of the game at Shibuya where she performed the theme song on December 4, 2008.

Reception

The Wii version of 428 was the eighth best-selling game in Japan during its week of release, selling 34,000 units. [34] Year-end sales of the game totalled 53,315 units. [35] In Japan, the game has sold 181,276 retail copies across all platforms, including 179,269 copies for the Wii, PS3 and PSP by 2012, [36] and 2,007 copies for the PS4 in 2018. [37] According to Steam Spy, the PC release has sold up to 20,000 copies on Steam. [38]

428 was well received by Japanese critics. [21] Famitsu gave it a perfect 40/40 score, making it the ninth game to receive one since the magazine's inception in 1986. It is also the only visual novel to receive a perfect score, and the second of five Wii games to receive it, the others being Super Smash Bros. Brawl , Monster Hunter Tri , New Super Mario Bros. Wii and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword . This is unprecedented in Famitsu history as it marks the first time that two games released on the same video game system received perfect scores within the same year. The game additionally won the publication's Dramatic Prize for its 2008 awards. [39] At the 2008 Japan Game Awards, it received an award in the "Future Division" for its new level of realism comparable to a TV drama. [40] In 2017, Famitsu readers voted 428 the second best adventure game of all time, behind only Steins;Gate . [41]

The game's western release was also well-received; [21] Destructoid called it "the most persuasive argument" for the concept of live-action video games. [22] The Verge called it "the best crime book you'll ever read on your PS4". [12] RPG Site called it one of the year's best games, praising its creative parallel storytelling and stating that it is "one of the most inventive experiences ever" with "nothing else quite like it". [32] GameSpot praised the "Excellent writing and characterization packed with drama, emotion, and humor" as well as the multiple character viewpoints and how player choices can "have far-reaching effects." [25] IGN also praised the "excellent writing and characterization" and how choices lead to unpredictable outcomes, calling it a great visual novel. [26] PlayStation LifeStyle called it "hands-down the best visual novel" with praise for the "character development, a rich, meaningful story, humor, action, romance", the "exceptional" dialogue, and large number of different endings. [30]

Hardcore Gamer said it is "clearly the child of Spike Chunsoft as it pioneered many of the features that fans know and love from the Zero Escape and Danganronpa games" yet has "a totally distinct identity from both those titles." [29] Gameblog said it tells a "riveting" story, makes "clever use of its multiple bad endings system" and "introduces you to a cast of characters" that "grows on you so much" that "once the game ends, you're sad that you'll never see them again." [28] GamesMaster called it a "wild ride from start to finish, with memorable characters and an absorbing plot." [24] RPGFan said its "nonlinear, vignette-based narrative is a perfect fit for the Sound Novel format," praised the script, and said "it's a title that even the staunchest visual novel skeptic can get a lot of enjoyment out of." [31]

Future

According to Nakamura, there are no plans for a sequel to 428 due to the number of copies sold throughout Japan, but has said that he has no problems conceptualizing the last game in the trilogy. [15]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as 428: Fūsa Sareta Shibuya de (428 〜封鎖された渋谷で〜, lit.428: In a Blockaded Shibuya)

Related Research Articles

A visual novel (VN) is a form of digital interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustrations and a varying degree of interactivity. The format is more rarely referred to as novel game, a retranscription of the wasei-eigo term noberu gēmu (ノベルゲーム), which is more often used in Japanese.

<i>Machi</i> (video game) 1998 video game

Machi is a visual novel and the third entry in the "Sound Novel Evolution" series published by Chunsoft. It was ported to PlayStation, and for PlayStation Portable as Machi: Unmei no Kousaten: Tokubetsuhen.

Kunihiro Nasu, known better as Kinoko Nasu, is a Japanese author, best known for writing the light novel The Garden of Sinners and visual novels Tsukihime and Fate/stay night, and a co-founder of Type-Moon. Nasu graduated from Hosei University with a major in human science.

Mystery Dungeon, known in Japan as Fushigi no Dungeon, is a series of roguelike role-playing video games. Most were developed by Chunsoft, now Spike Chunsoft since the merging in 2012, and select games were developed by other companies with Chunsoft's permission. The series began when co–creator of Dragon Quest, Koichi Nakamura, was inspired by Seiichiro Nagahata's experience with Rogue, who is also a fellow developer from the company, and a desire to create an original series. It began on the Super Famicom, progressing to almost all of Nintendo's and Sony's home and handheld consoles, WonderSwan, Dreamcast, Windows, and mobile devices.

Aya Kamiki is a Japanese singer, actress and model. Her music ranges from pop, rock to R&B. She resides in Osaka, and is signed with Tokyo-based AVEX recording label. She is the vocalist of the rock band Uroboros and the rock duo Sonic Lover Reckless with Lovebites guitarist Miyako.

Koichi Nakamura is a Japanese video game designer. Nakamura gained fame as a programming prodigy while still in high school; in 1982, he entered Enix's first national programming contest and claimed runner-up prize with his entry, Door Door. In 1984, he founded the video game company Chunsoft.

Takashi Takeuchi is a Japanese artist. He is notable as the co-founder of the visual novel, anime development and production enterprise Type-Moon, and for his illustrations on the visual novels, Tsukihime and Fate/stay night, which were adapted into an anime and manga series. He has frequently collaborated with fellow game designer Kinoko Nasu. In 2008, they contributed the special scenario to the Sega/Chunsoft Wii visual novel 428: Shibuya Scramble, which subsequently received a sequel anime titled Canaan. His real name is Tomotaka Takeuchi.

<i>Door Door</i> 1983 video game

Door Door is a single-screen puzzle-platform game by Enix published in Japan in 1983. Originally released for the NEC PC-8801, it was ported to other platforms, including the Family Computer. Controlling a small character named Chun, the player is tasked with completing each stage by trapping different kinds of aliens behind sliding doors. Chun can jump over the aliens and climb ladders, and must also avoid obstacles such as large nails and bombs.

<i>Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer</i> 1995 video game

Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer, originally released in Japan as Fushigi no Dungeon 2: Fūrai no Shiren, is a roguelike video game developed and published by Chunsoft. It is the second entry in the Mystery Dungeon series, following 1993's Torneko no Daibōken. It was originally released for the Super Famicom in 1995 in Japan. Sega published a Nintendo DS remake in 2006 in Japan and in 2008 internationally. The remake was later ported to iOS and Android and published by Spike Chunsoft in 2019.

<i>Banshees Last Cry</i> 1994 video game

Kamaitachi no Yoru, released in English as Banshee's Last Cry, is a visual novel developed and published by Chunsoft for the Super Famicom in 1994. The game is the second sound novel by Chunsoft and brought a myriad of other companies to develop similar games. The term "sound novel" was a registered trademark, but is regarded as a genre.

<i>Canaan</i> (TV series) Japanese anime television series

Canaan is a 13-episode anime television series, conceptualized by Type-Moon co-founders Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi, based on the scenario that they created for the Wii visual novel 428: Shibuya Scramble, which is noted for being one of the few games to have been awarded a perfect score by games publication Famitsu. The series spawned manga and light novel adaptations.

<i>Otogirisō</i> 1992 video game

Otogirisō is a 1992 visual novel video game developed and published by Chunsoft for the Super Famicom. It follows the protagonist and their girlfriend Nami lost down a forest road. After having to make an emergency stop, they find themselves in a Western-styled country house and let themselves in. While looking for the occupants of the home, they stumble upon a room with a mummified person who quickly vanishes when the lights go out. As they further explore the mansion and find further unexplained phenomenon, Nami discovers she has a history with the house and its previous occupants. The game involves the player making various choices through menu options to direct the narrative of the story. Completing a narrative in Otogirisō allows the player to reach new menu branches and new narrative conclusions.

<i>999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors</i> 2009 video game

999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors is a visual novel and adventure video game developed by Chunsoft. It is the first installment in the Zero Escape series, and was released in Japan in December 2009 and in North America in November 2010 for the Nintendo DS. The story follows Junpei, a college student who is abducted along with eight other people and forced to play the "Nonary Game", which puts its participants in a life-or-death situation, to escape from a sinking cruise liner. The gameplay alternates between two types of sections: Escape sections, where the player completes puzzles in escape-the-room scenarios; and Novel sections, where the player reads the game's narrative and makes decisions that influence the story toward one of six different endings.

<i>Time Travelers</i> (video game) 2012 video game

Time Travelers is a video game "without a genre" developed by Level-5 for the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation Portable. A demo of the game was included with the release of Level-5's Nintendo 3DS eShop title, Guild01. The game's mystery-themed narrative was penned by Jiro Ishii, who previously directed Chunsoft's acclaimed 2008 visual novel 428: Shibuya Scramble, as well as the 1987 cyberpunk adventure game Imitation City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spike Chunsoft</span> Japanese video game development company

Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game development and localization company specializing in role-playing video games, visual novels and adventure games. The company was founded in 1984 as Chunsoft Co., Ltd. and merged with Spike in 2012. It is owned by Dwango.

<i>Shiren the Wanderer</i> Original video game series from the Mystery Dungeon franchise

Shiren the Wanderer is a video game series of roguelike and role-playing games developed by Spike Chunsoft. Unlike licensed crossovers within the Mystery Dungeon franchise, this series features original characters, including the eponymous rōnin protagonist Shiren and his traveling companion and talking weasel Koppa, with a plot and the location set generally in feudal Japan, and though indicative of the core games, which is navigating through a randomly generated dungeon using turn-based moves. As of January 2024, there have been multiple games across Nintendo and Sony platforms, mobile devices, Windows, and Steam, as well as few other medias released throughout the years.

Jiro Ishii is a Japanese video game developer and television and anime producer. He is best known for directing the live-action visual novel 428: Shibuya Scramble, producing the adventure video game Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, and creating the original concept for the anime short Under the Dog which was funded on Kickstarter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sekai wa Sore demo Kawari wa Shinai</span> 2008 single by Aya Kamiki

"Sekai wa Sore demo Kawari wa Shinai" is a song by Japanese singer Aya Kamiki. It was released on December 3, 2008, as Kamiki's 10th single. Written by Kamiki and composed by Aika Ōno, the song appears in the soundtrack to the visual novel video game 428: Shibuya Scramble, used as the opening, ending, and insert theme. Musically, the song opens with a calm strings intro and transitions into rock, and it lyrically emphasizes hope and positivity even in a mostly unchanging world.

428: Shibuya Scramble is a visual novel video game developed by Chunsoft and published by Sega. The game was released in 2008, and spawned the sequel anime series Canaan, created by Type-Moon and animated by P.A. Works and aired in 2009. The music of 428: Shibuya Scramble and Canaan spans two soundtrack albums, four singles, and one character song album.

References

  1. ↑ jeriaska (March 21, 2009). "Sound Current: 'Traversing Castlevania's Musical Timeline with Noisycroak'". GameSetWatch. Archived from the original on 25 July 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
  2. ↑ Spencer (July 1, 2009). "428 Breaks Wii Barricade, Escapes To PSP And PS3". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2009-07-05. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  3. ↑ Lada, Jenni. "Japan Import: An updated version of 428: Fusa Sareta Shibuya de headed to iOS". Technologytell.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-30. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  4. ↑ "【TGS2008】「428 the animation」TYPE-MOON監修シナリオ、TVアニメに". 2008-10-12. Archived from the original on 26 January 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  5. ↑ Ishaan (August 23, 2009). "428 Getting the Novel Treatment". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2009-08-28. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
  6. ↑ "SEGA/428 ～封鎖された渋谷で～" (in Japanese). Chunsoft. 2008. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  7. ↑ "428: Shibuya Scramble (PS4) Review". GamePitt. September 5, 2018. Archived from the original on September 5, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  8. ↑ "428 - The greatest experiment in non-linear story telling". Destructoid. 2009-12-17. Archived from the original on 2012-11-06. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  9. ↑ Ray Barnholt. "The Weird World of Japanese "Novel" Games". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-20. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  10. ↑ Commodore Wheeler. "EVE Burst Error". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2011-12-14. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  11. ↑ "Wii.com JP - 『428』とは？". Archived from the original on 29 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  12. 1 2 Byford, Sam (12 October 2018). "428: Shibuya Scramble is the best crime book you'll ever read on your PS4". The Verge . Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  13. ↑ "SEGA/428 ～封鎖された渋谷で～ 登場人物". Archived from the original on 17 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  14. ↑ "制作スタッフロングインタビュー". 428 封鎖された渋谷で オフィシャルガイドブック. Enterbrain. 2009-02-10. p. 153. ISBN   978-4-757746-90-9.
  15. 1 2 3 "Making a game in the world's busiest crosswalk: The story behind 428". Polygon . 17 December 2018.
  16. ↑ Spencer (January 20, 2010). "Nintendo Channel Voters Pick Budget Wii Games". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 13 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
  17. ↑ Romano, Sal (2018-08-06). "428: Shibuya Scramble launches September 21 in Europe, Fire Pro Wrestling World on September 28". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2018-09-08. Retrieved 2018-09-08.
  18. 1 2 "Interview: The Localization of 428: Shibuya Scramble, Demo Tomorrow". 6 August 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2018-08-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  19. ↑ Lada, Jenni (3 March 2017). "Spike Chunsoft Localizing 428: Shibuya Scramble". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2017-03-03. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  20. ↑ "上木彩矢のライブにイシイ総監督のサイン会など、『428 ～封鎖された渋谷で～』が発売記念イベントで渋谷をジャック!?". Famitsu . 4 December 2008. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  21. 1 2 3 "428: Shibuya Scramble". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  22. 1 2 "Review: 428: Shibuya Scramble". Destructoid . 2018-10-06. Archived from the original on 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  23. ↑ "New Games Cross Review". Weekly Famitsu (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Enterbrain, Inc. 2008-11-26. p. 25.
  24. 1 2 "GamesMaster". GamesMaster (336): 82.
  25. 1 2 Kemps, Heidi (September 12, 2018). "428: Shibuya Scramble Review - When Fates Collide". GameSpot . Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  26. 1 2 "428: Shibuya Scramble". IGN (in Italian). October 2, 2018. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  27. ↑ "PlayStation Official Magazine UK". PlayStation Official Magazine – UK (155): 82.
  28. 1 2 "TEST. 428 : Shibuya Scramble (PS4)". Gameblog (in French). 2 October 2018. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  29. 1 2 "Review: 428: Shibuya Scramble". Hardcore Gamer. 8 October 2018. Archived from the original on 11 March 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  30. 1 2 "428 Shibuya Scramble PS4 Review - Choose Your Own WTF Adventure!". PlayStation LifeStyle . 4 September 2018. Archived from the original on 11 March 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  31. 1 2 "Review - 428: Shibuya Scramble". RPGFan. 19 September 2018. Archived from the original on 11 March 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  32. 1 2 "428: Shibuya Scramble Review". RPG Site. 4 September 2018. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  33. ↑ "Análisis 428: Shibuya Scramble - PS4, PC". Vandal (in European Spanish). 7 October 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  34. ↑ Jenkins, David (December 11, 2008). "Japanese Charts: Layton Holds Onto Lead As Fallout 3 Hits". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 2009-05-11. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  35. ↑ "GEIMIN.NET／2008年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP500（ファミ通版）". Geimin.net. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  36. ↑ "428". Japan Game Sales Database. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Game Search". Game Data Library. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019. 428: Shibuya Scramble
  38. ↑ "428: Shibuya Scramble". Steam Spy . Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  39. ↑ Graft, Kris (April 24, 2009). "Famitsu Awards Name Kojima 'Person of the Year'". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 2009-05-08. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  40. ↑ "日本ゲーム大賞2008". Japan Game Awards . Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  41. ↑ "Steins;Gate is voted the best Adventure game of all time". Japanese Nintendo. June 7, 2017. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.